48 comments:

Glitter scallop heels: posted a pic on IG @wearthislikethis. I needed to size way down in this style. The 8.5 was slipping off my feet, so I got an 8 and although they're snug I know from experience the fact that they're leather lined means they will conform to my feet with minimal wear. (For reference, I took a 9 in the Lena patent cap toe and the colorblock satin maryjane pumps). The glitter is actually a fabric with some metallic woven in. They read as very silver online but in reality there's gold and black mixed in, so they're more neutral and not as loud. I was concerned the heel height would make these look dowdy with skirts, but I was wrong.This is such a winning, wearable style I hope they continue to make this heel height and scalloped trim style with other fabrics. I really didn't want to keep them (I ordered the Sophia Sequin pump also and figured I'd keep one) but these are different and fabulous.

Slightly OT: I ordered the Regent blazer in blackwatch with the satin lapel. How many people watching the Golden Globes noticed there were several actors wearing tuxedo jackets that were blackwatch plaid with satin lapels? I've never seen that before.

I found the sizing on the NB collab pieces to be difficult - my usual S felt a little too small, but the M felt a little too big, so as a result nothing felt like a “must keep". The striped tank was very long and felt like a maternity tank with the ruching. The striped bra was so tight even after I sized up, I was afraid that I was going to have to cut it off. The grey and polka-dot leggings were so unflattering and the fact that they were seamed together made it feel like they would split apart at some point.

I did end up keeping the polka-dot tank for $20, but after wearing it to a sweaty barre class, it stuck to me like a wet bathing suit. The SA’s in my B&M heard that the collab pieces were made from NB’s “bottom tier” line in terms of quality/fit, and that doesn’t surprise me. I’m annoyed at them for trying to get into athlesiure so late in the game and at what is obviously not a good time for them. The pieces that I thought were cute (the grey/navy oversized stripe tee, turtleneck sweatshirt, and fleece-lined sweats) were just regular JC. As an aside, one of my all-time favorite JC items is a navy/white striped yoga mat from I think 2008 that I still use regularly.

I posted the exact same thoughts re the striped tank over the weekend! The ruching was a deal breaker for me. I did, however, like the seamless NB tank. It was short but otherwise TTS. I ran 18 miles in it the other day and had no problems! -lep33shops (on IG)

I've actually liked all the NB stuff i've gotten. i didn't buy the stripe tank, but i do have the polka dot tank and short sleeve shirt, the long sleeve in-transit shirt and the windbreaker. i run, mountain bike and do yoga and they've been great!

A bit OT some deeper cuts this morning on some summer/fall items. There were some cashmere pieces as low as $25 before the 40 or 50% off!!!! But only xxs or maybe xs. Worth a look if that is your size. I broke the shopping ban already. Bought the Billies in white and the surrey wash. Ordered two sizes since they are $18 and no FS. Hoping they fit. Teddie pant $18 as well. Also got a liberty shirt for $24. I wonder if no more final sale is overall hurting them. Both stores I visited recently were drowning in sale items. I am happy as I can try pieces at a great price and still return.

Liberty lovers like me: the RUFFLE POPOVER SHIRT IN LIBERTY ART FABRICS WILTSHIRE PRINT is in the sale section for $40 (before the 40%!) in all sizes! https://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/ingoodcompany/Liberty/PRD~F0881/F0881.jsp?N=21+17&Nbrd=J&Nloc=en_US&Nrpp=100&Npge=3&Nsrt=1&isSaleItem=true&color_name=BERRY%20MULTI&isFromSale=true&isNewSearch=true&hash=row14

I snagged some of the extreme pop ups, including the liberty shirt $28, a great dress for $30, and a wool Jackie for $15. And just barely missed out on the very last XS cashmere... It disappeared from my shopping cart as I was deleting wishlist items I didn't want shipped. Speaking of which, I've always thought deleting from the cart a big pain. Why can't they change format so we can check boxes and deleted multiple items at once? This isn't the first time I've missed out on a great deal because of cart maintenance.

J.CREW COLLECTION TOTE IN RATTI ITALIAN SILK G0264 CANDY PINK HIBISCUS- I love this print and I hope to get the skirt if it pops back. The tote is beautiful but I have to wonder what I could possibly use it for since it's made of silk. I'm worried about damaging it since it's not sturdy leather. If I put a few things in it will this cause a hole or a tear? I'm not so sure how practical it is. It looks great but is a delicate tote a contradiction in terms?

Hi st, I think the tote would be hard to take care of. I'm not sure how much it was but I think the skirt would be a better buy. I got it on popback and its stunning. If you're in love with the print perhaps hold on to the tote since you have 60 days and try to catch the skirt. If you can't catch the skirt then maybe keep the tote if you really want that print. The skirt is delicate silk so I'll have to be careful with it but the print is so vibrant and the pleats are very flattering.

I am hoping this trend of marking down and moving stuff out will continue. Didn't catch anything in my size but great for those that did. I feel like they really need to mark some stuff down and let it go.

The collars on J Crew Shirts. like the rounded ones. the others on the perfect shirts this season seem really small and flimsy. i can't get them to "stand up or kind of flip up" if you know what i mean. looked at factory shirts ...they are paper thin...I don't know if they would last more than a few washes... I am almost at my wits end with the lack of quality fabric from retail. But where to shop????

double breasted coat on double cloth wool in faded redwood. the colour I could have lived with...tera cotta almost?. But the style seems outdated....like quite a few years ...outdated. The fabric is "light " to say the least. sleeves esp. thin. its more like a thick hevay blazer. would be fine for mild weather only. def. not a winter coat. returned. I live in Canada...

I was able to score the Chateau Parka in Windowpane in a 4. My solid colored one is an 8 petite. The 4 although not too tight anywhere is just overwhelming on me. I am not super small by any means. I am 5'4 about 140. It is too long and too much fabric on the sides. Not flattering. I really would need to hunt down a petite to get the fit I would want on this. I never get petite a in anything else but find them to work best on me for this style coat.

Not a review, but a link to an article I posted elsewhere late yesterday that offers a closer examination of problems facing retailers like The Gap, Abercombie & Fitch, and our own J.Crew. Unlike other recent articles that focus on the overall picture, this article details exactly why many retailers are failing. Notable among the reasons cited for why millenials want fast fashion is because they are spending their money on electronics and other experiences. Apparently this generation is spending the least amount of clothes than ever before. (I read the article yesterday so if I mix up details, I apologize in advance.)

Also mentioned is a good explanation of what 'fast fashion is' - I thought it just referred to the manufacturing of cheap clothing (and it does) but it also refers to the production time -- most clothing companies need a 10 month window to produce items, from start to finish, whereas shops like Zara just need ONE MONTH (!)

The article is long and probably tricky to read on a phone so I'll try to include highlights at a later point. (I'm at work :-)

Either way, quite a bit to be considered about. Not sure how these retailers will make it in the long run - closing more B&M stores? Become online only? I admit that when it comes to JC, most of my shopping is done online, as that is where the Petite offerings are.

Thanks for the article. How do they explain the success of Madewell, which is not a fast-fashion brand? I would say it has a smaller presence and has not oversaturated the market. Not as much product to clear out so they don't have to discount as much. I think closing some stores is going to be part of the answer for a lot of these chains.

When I think back, most of my shopping has been online with J.Crew this past season because my store doesn't carry very much. They don't carry hardly any shoes and their clothing sizes get picked over very quickly. I really don't like to order because I hate to have to wait, face the shame when the package is delivered from husband, coworkers, ups and mailman... I would be OK with online shopping if J.Crew shipping rates weren't so high and it didn't take so long for them to ship and no final sale. They need to make it easier and more appealing to shop online if this will help their overall business. Also, their sizing inconsistencies are killing them with people that are ordering multiple multiple sizes to find one that works.

@Cass, that's a good observation about Madewell, whose success they point to in the article (I think they mention that Madewell has a lower price point, but I'd have to double check. I don't shop with them so I don't know personally.)

Re) closing stores, the article says it would only be a Band-Aid solution:

Elevating design, lowering prices and streamlining stores are only Band-Aid solutions for a much deeper problem that none of these retailers have fundamentally addressed: a lack of design speed and flexibility in a company’s merchandising culture. In order to minimise losses due to markdowns of unsold product and sellouts of popular styles, apparel retailers need overhaul their approach to risk through fast-and-flexible supply chains.

Madewell's jeans are all in the $120-140 range--they're def not competing on low price points. I personally don't shop there either because it's too casual for me and I need office clothes 5 days out of the week. Anyone here a big Madewell shopper and care to comment on why they think it's managing to do well?

In response to your question, Cass, I think Madewell's doing well because they have a fairly consistent aesthetic. They're doing the whole cool-girl thing, which is pretty popular with what I think their target demographic is: 20 and 30 somethings with disposable income looking for the that particular carefree Instagram-y feel.

I think J.Crew has been struggling on the women's side (compared to the men's side) because they're catering to too many types of shopper. They're doing trends, high fashion, preppy stuff, edgy, and at ever-changing prices. It feels like an identity crisis to me. If I look at what I've purchased from J.Crew in the last year, the styles are that classics with a twist stuff they have historically been known for. Things I'm not buying? Off the shoulder, fringe, pajama-inspired, ruffles. Those are things I would look to fast fashion for, since I wouldn't expect to get more than a season of wear out of them. No shade to people who embrace those trends, though.

The menswear has remained pretty focused on a particular vibe and an eye for quality that I think explains their continued success. Kinda puts the situation on the women's side in perspective for me, though.

I think Madewell does a great job of staying on-trend and on-message, in that I can see one customer wearing almost all the clothes in their line. It seems like they do fewer rollouts than J crew (I could be wrong), which would probably aid them not having to discount to keep merchandise moving at all times like JC.

I think you guys have hit the nail on the head with Madewell, especially the bit about their 'consistent aesthetic'. When I think of Madewell, I think of a specific look, and while it doesn't resonate with me personally, it does with their target demographic. They KNOW who they're designing for. Agree that JC is potentially trying to please too many different tastes at times. The article also says this as well:

“[J.Crew’s] price points are out of whack for what’s going on in the market right now,” says Santaniello. Madewell hits a sweet spot, however. “It’s little bit elevated for the crowd they’re going for, but it’s still attainable,” she says.

In order to better address the needs of price-conscious shoppers, retailers are expanding their off-price business. As of October, J.Crew added 28 Mercantile locations (off-price product stores located outside outlet malls) in 2016.

Wanted to point out one more thing (not totally related, but rather surprising to me):

New reports suggest that Drexler, working on a new business plan with consulting firm McKinsey & Co., is considering a greater focus on activewear — a segment Morgan Stanley predicts will grow to $83 billion in sales by 2020 — after launching the brand’s first collaboration with New Balance this autumn. At the same time, J.Crew shuttered its bridal line.

JC is not the first name I think of when I think of 'activewear' so this bit surprised me. I think the NB collaboration has been successful for certain pieces, sneakers in particular, but I'd be curious to know how successful it's been with other pieces.

Hi Monica Bonica - your explanation is on point! I know that if I'm looking for something tunic-y, distressed denim, or leather - I go to Madewell. I don't order much from them, but some of my absolute favorite pieces in my closet are Madewell.

JC's been having an identity crisis for a while now. The trend chasing plus the long production cycle isn't helping them. What do they do, just gamble that people are going to buy multiple Edie tops spanning several seasons?

Thought this from the article was interesting/true:“She’s loyal as hell until we go wrong," said Drexler in a March 2015 conference call about J.Crew’s shopper. “Then she wants it on sale.”

I so agree that J. Crew pricing is out of whack. Too expensive for trendy pieces that can be had at the so-called fast fashion retailers for much lower prices on a lightening-quick timeline. Also too expensive for the disappointingly low quality (fabric, construction, finish, and sizing) on the classic-with-a-twist pieces the whole brand was built upon.

Yeah I hope they are not building their comeback on activewear...the NB clothing kind of flopped and I really don't need another place to buy workout clothes...I need a place to buy nice quality work and occasion clothes.

OT- the Madewell sale hopped to 40% off sale, so I ordered a couple of flannel things and the breakfast all day t-shirt. I'm hopeful that the shrunken flannel in the size I ordered will fit more like a typical button down that I can wear when I need to dress "business smart."

I received the Regent blazer in blackwatch plaid today, that I ordered on 12/30. I also received another size that I ordered on 1/6 I think. Ironically the one I ordered later, the larger size (4) seems a better fit at first glance. The blazer itself is beautiful, although the 4 was wrinkled and needs to be steamed. I've seen it on other JCAs but I wasn't crazy about how it looked with anything I tried. I wish it was offered in tall or was two inches longer. I thought it would be a nice alternative to black but I will need to experiment more.

I really like mine. The black watch pattern is so dark that it really can stand in for black, although I do like mine with the blue/white stripe perfect shirt (like they show). Funny both sizes came today!

I like it, but something about the proportions seems off. I definitely need to try with narrower jeans and other shirts. I do like that the pattern is dark. And I love the black lapel. Maybe it's just that the 4 is too wide on the bottom. I'll keep trying. Very funny that both sizes came! The smaller one was scheduled to come on Friday and Narvar kept saying it was on time, even on Saturday when obviously it wasn't.

Tried it on with different jeans and a skirt. I think it can work exactly the way I was hoping with the right bottoms (not the wider jeans I tried earlier.). I like the neckline because it will work with a tie neck shirt, tuxedo shirt, regular tee, etc. Still have to figure out which size is better but I think the 4 will work better.

Sigh...I miss the beautiful abstract watercolor florals J Crew used to do and was hoping they might bring some back this spring. I'm glad to see more prints in general but big, splashy 60's/70's pop prints are not what I'm looking for. Much less closet longevity with those more stylized pieces.

The Patio pants in super 120s wool are marked down but, unfortunately, they are now final sale. (We all knew the final sales were coming, but what a bummer given the inconsistency of sizing.) I have other Patio pants (i.e. in skinny stripe E8718 and windowpane tweed F0794). Does anyone have a view as to the consistency of the fit across the different Patio pant style numbers? Thank you!

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